If the report in the Fremantle Gazette, Fremantle Mayor deflates push for bikes to use alternate route when commuter cycling path reaches port city is anything to go by it seems Main Roads is up to old tricks again, doing its damnedest to undermine any form of transport other than by motor vehicle. It seems that Main Roads would like to force bicycle riders to take the roundabout route into Fremantle from the north, forcing them to divert to the Stirling Highway bridge and then back along Canning Highway to get into the port city. All the while of course still having to negotiate Tydeman Road and the heavy port traffic, Stirling Bridge which does not have great pedestrian or bicycling riding infrastructure and then to top it all off, there is Canning Highway to deal with.

FREMANTLE Mayor Brad Pettitt has punctured any push for bikes to use anything other than a direct route when a commuter cycling path reaches his port city from Cottesloe potentially in three years.

“I’m happy for the order of construction, and the way the path is coming to Fremantle, but it should be understood it should absolutely connect up with central Fremantle,” Dr Pettitt said, answering any move to have the principal shared path (PSP) cross the Swan River upstream at Stirling Bridge.

A feasibility study will now start to get the PSP over the Swan River into Fremantle in 2020-21, sparking some cycling lobbyists to suggest using spare funds from the High Street-Stirling Highway upgrade near Stirling Bridge, which may cost half of its allotted $113 million.

Why do this, when a simple solution is clip-on a pedestrian/cycling path to the existing railway bridge over Tydeman Road and Swan River. What a great experience that would be riding into the city over the river on a dedicated cycling path? As a bonus bicycle riders and pedestrians would even be able to cross Tydeman Road without putting their lives at risk. Imagine that!

Have a view the best option to reach Fremantle from the north? Please let the Minister for Transport, The Honourable Rita Saffioti know your views. You can contact her via Facebook, Twitter or via mail or email. Please also let The Honourable Ms Simone McGurk MLA, Member for Fremantle know your views as well. Ms McGurk can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter or email/mail.

new research has found that cycling and walking receive a tiny fraction of overall transport infrastructure funding in Australia. Researchers believe this is “unacceptable in a wealthy OECD country”.

They go on to suggest that …

Not only is this vision shortsighted, it is sexist, ageist and classist. Cars cost their owners more than A$300 per week on average. This limits travel options for youth, low-income people and women. These groups are already vulnerable to transport disadvantage, and failing to fund cycling and walking projects can make their situation worse.

Good news being reported by the Post Newspaper on the completion of the next leg of the Perth to Fremantle Principal Shared Path (PSP). The paper is reporting that the link will be completed by the end of 2018. If this is true this is excellent news, however the elephant in the room remains, the crossing of Tydeman Road.